Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has almost completed his first full season in charge of the Merseyside club after taking over from doomed Roy Hodgson last January.

With the club's American owners, Fenway Sports Group, targeting fourth place as the main objective for the Reds' season, Sports Mole takes a look at how the Scotsman has fared at the helm of Anfield so far.

Spending spree
Liverpool owner John W Henry made funds available for transfers after taking over the club from the Reds' previous owners Hicks and Gillett last year, which Dalglish took full advantage of by spending over £100m on the likes of Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Jose Enrique, Stewart Downing and Sebastian Coates.

While Uruguayan Copa America winner Suarez has proved to be a welcome addition to the Liverpool team, there have been suggestions that the majority of the transfer swoops have struggled to make an impact on the growing squad, with former Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll taking the brunt of the criticism.

Some have claimed that the Geordie's price tag of £35m has been a burden on the frontman, who has scored eight goals since making the switch to Merseyside 14 months ago.

League form
Liverpool currently sit 12 points adrift of fourth place in the Premier League with nine games left to play in this year's campaign. While Dalglish refuses to give up on reaching a much-coveted Champions League spot, the likelihood of reaching fourth seems to be a distant hope.

Despite an inconsistent season with the majority of setbacks coming at Anfield, the Reds have boasted a successful defensive record. While Liverpool have displayed impressive performances, a lack of intensity in the final third has resulted in the Merseyside club hitting the bar more than any other team in the league.

Positive Cup runs
While the Reds are experiencing a mismatched domestic season, Dalglish has managed to lead the club in a successful run in the Cup competitions. The Scotsman, who is deemed by many as the best player to pull on a Liverpool shirt, ended the Reds' six-year wait for silverware after clinching the Carling Cup trophy in February.

The former Champions League winners are also in contention for the FA Cup trophy after fighting off the likes of Manchester United and Stoke City to reach the semi-finals of the competition, with Sunderland or local rivals Everton due to face them next month.

Suarez racism controversy
The biggest blow in Dalglish's season is arguably the racism row involving star striker Luis Suarez and Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. The 25-year-old former Ajax frontman was banned for eight matches after being found guilty by the FA of racially abusing Evra during a match at Anfield in October.

Dalglish and the club were fully supportive of Suarez throughout the issue, but fell into hot water after the team and manager displayed T-shirts emblazoned with the Uruguayan's picture and jersey number after the ruling was made.

Despite widespread criticism from the media, Dalglish was backed by the majority of the Liverpool following as well as the club.

What next?
While the Scotsman's chances of leading Liverpool in the long-term remain unclear, it appears that the 61-year-old has the full support of the players, with many praising Dalglish for his man-management skills in the dressing room. The former Blackburn Rovers boss also has the chance to boast two pieces of silverware at the end of the season, which has been a rare occurrence at Anfield in recent seasons.